'We are ready': Royal Navy prepared to seize Russia shadow fleet ships as work starts on war plan overhaul
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An update version of the Government War Book is being drawn up given the rise in threats globally
The Chief of Defence Staff believes the Royal Navy is ready to seize Russian shadow fleet ships - with the UK also planning to transition to a war footing.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said Britain is drawing up a new version of the Government War Book due to rising threats. Sky News reports that the latest iteration of the major plan aims to ready the military, police, hospitals, industry, and the whole of the nation for a tense future.
Sir Richard said at the London Defence Conference that these new plans would require people to think differently about resilience, drawing on lessons from the Cold War but "in a modern context, with a modern society, with modern infrastructure".
He added that a threat by the UK to seize ships that are funding Vladimir Putin’s war machine is already having an effect, despite British forces not yet boarding a vessel. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer gave the green light for action last month, though doubt has been cast over the legality and safety of such measures.
The CDS said Moscow is being forced to escort tankers carrying sanctioned cargo, or divert them away from British waters. When asked if a boarding operation was imminent, he added: “Be in no doubt. We are ready."
The state of the armed forces
Successive Conservative and Labour governments have diverted funds away from defence over the past several decades. The Royal Navy is being hit by a capability gap, with new and sophisticated Type 26 and 31 frigates not being built fast enough to replace their aging Type 23 counterparts.
Labour has promised to raise defence spending to 2.6 per cent of GDP by 2027, and to 3.5 per cent core defence spending by 2035. The delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP) is causing a headache for defence businesses waiting for a fresh injection of cash, and is pushing back major reforms and spending decisions for the armed forces.
It was originally due to be released in the autumn of last year, but has been kicked down the long grass. No timelines have been given, only repeated claims that the government is “working flat out” to deliver it. Sir Richard told Sky News that the hold up is being caused by the MoD having to hold out for greater funds to be made available from the Treasury.
"What I want is a defence investment plan that is properly funded and delivers what we want," he said. "If that takes a bit longer, I'd rather have something that works and we can deliver."